Vote: MLS All-Star voting underway

Fan voting for the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star game in now underway via online voting and text messaging.

Six Colorado Rapids players are among the 114 total MLS players - six per team - nominated by a national media panel that appear on the MLS All-Star ballot: goalkeeper Matt Pickens, defender Drew Moor, midfielders Jeff Larentowicz, Jaime Castrillon, and Martin Rivero, and forward Omar Cummings.

Fans can also vote by sending a player’s first and last name via text message to 22442 and submit named via Twitter from June 21-22.

The 11 players with the highest combined votes from these three voting methods will become the first 11 All-Stars – known as the All-Star First XI. The player who receives the most text votes by 3 p.m. MT on Monday, July 2 will automatically earn a spot among the All-Star First XI.

A total of 32 All-Stars are named each year, per the collective bargaining agreement. Media, fans, players, the All-Star coach and MLS Commissioner Don Garber all contribute in the All-Star selection process.

The Commissioner selections and gameday roster will be announced on Sunday, July 15 on ESPN during halftime of the New York Red Bulls vs. Seattle Sounders FC game that begins at 4 p.m. ET.

The final list of 32 All-Stars (4 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 13 midfielders and 7 forwards) will be announced on MLSsoccer.com on July 25.All-Star Head Coach Peter Nowak of the Philadelphia Union will choose the gameday roster and the starting lineup against Chelsea FC which will take place on July 25 (6:30 pm MT, ESPN 2 and Telefutura) at PPL Park.